The Mistress of Locksley
by loulouluvswwry
Summary: An old friend comes to Nottingham only to find the Sheriff before learning about Robin's new life. How will this effect everyone? And what does she mean by "She's the rightful mistress to Locksley"? Pairings: R/M W/D A/OC. Set after Series 1 before 2 x
1. Meet the Sheriff

What in the world was going on

_What in the world was going on?_ A young woman thought, as she perched on top of a horse, just inside the gates at Nottingham Town. She lifted her face a little higher to see more from under her hat. No she wasn't imagining it. This was market day, wasn't it?

She eased her ankles into her horse and set it a slow walk. As she got closer to the castle she looked at the faces of the people around her. _When had they gotten so ragged?_ Well it was easy really, in the 3 years and 2 winters she'd been gone.

They all seemed to look at her with the same pleading eyes, and jutting cheek bones.

To the right of the castle there were men in the stocks. She could not help but get of her horse and go to speak to the soldiers guarding them. "Could you tell me why these men are here?"

"Yes mi-lady. They were caught poaching."

"And what is to be their punishment?"

"Well mi-lady, I'm not sure I should be telling you this….."

"Please Sir, you would be doing me a big favour…." She let herself trail off, remembering her training.

"They are to hang, mi-lady." The guard answered, obviously pleased by this.

"To hang!" she cried, outraged, "By whose orders?"

"The Sheriff."

She quickly recovered, "Thankyou, kind Sir for telling me this."

As she got to the front steps of the castle, she'd been detained by other guards, but not for long. With years of Noble training, she was used to dealing with people to get her own way.

She allowed no one to stop her, male nor female and kept walking towards the Sheriff's private quarters. Knowing the Sheriff as she did, she knew he would never turn her away, and besides, in the temper she was in, he would not be able to stop her speaking her mind about the cruelty of the people.

As she got to the door of the Sheriff's quarters a guard stopped her to ask, "Will you be requiring an announcement miss?"

"No thankyou, and mi-lady is the correct term, is it not?"

"Beggin' your pardon, mi-lady."

"I am already acquainted with the Sheriff of Nottingham, and so need no announcement." She rapped 3 times of the Sheriff's door.

"Enter." An unfamiliar voice replied.

"My Lord Ed-!"

"Oh haha. Expecting someone else my dear? Gisbourne, I think this young maiden was expecting our Edward." The woman quickly hid her surprise, an important part of her 'Ladyship' training.

"I do apologise my Lord," she dropped the perfect curtsy in front of him, "I was under the impression that Sir Edward of Knighton was still the Sheriff of Nottingham."

"Well I gathered that." The Sheriff got of his chair and came around the front of his desk. He slowly circled her, looking at her up and down.

"Excuse me _Sir,_" she spoke, with a crispness she hardly ever used, "I do not think the way you are looking at me is at all acceptable to a fellow Noble is it? If any of my male relatives should see that, they would-"

"What?! They would what?!" he laughed cruelly. She raised her head and gave him her haughtiest of looks.

"So, my dear. Who are you?"

"I? I am the rightful mistress of the Locksley estate until circumstances change."

For the first time, the younger, dark haired man spoke, "Circumstances have already changed mi-lady. I am now Lord of Locksley, so unless we married in my sleep, I cannot see how this could be. I assure you, you are not the mistress of Locksley."

She turned to face him. "And who, may I ask, are you?"

"I am Sir Guy of Gisbourne," he said proudly.

"If, Sir Guy, you are indeed Lord of Locksley, why would you introduce yourself as 'Guy of Gisbourne'?"

"Well the Gisbourne name and estate-"

"ENOUGH!" The Sheriff shouted, making both Guy and the maiden jump, "I have heard this a thousand times, and am now bored of this conversation." He went back to his high-backed chair behind the desk, "So, you have indeed told us who you are, now I want to know your name."

"I," she pulled herself up as tall as possible, "I am Lady Eloise of Locksley. Sister of Robin, Lord of Locksley, Earl of Huntingdon and all surrounding areas. Until my older brother marries, I am the rightful mistress to the Locksley estate."

Eloise could tell she had shocked them, but they were both already advancing on her. "And, unfortunately for you, I am also armed." With this she whipped out a small dagger from beneath her sleeve.

"I warn you, I am very good with this."

She smiled a cocky grin, not unlike the one she knew her older brother to wear.

"And now I want you to tell me where Robin is."

The Sheriff cackled. "Well my dear, it sounds like you want to find him just as much as we do. GUARDS!! Arrest this girl and take her to the dungeon. I'm sorry mi-lady," he bent into a bow, "But needs must, you know." And he waved the guards away, carrying a kicking and screaming Eloise.


	2. Robin's What!

"So Much, when are you going to start breakfast

**Hey everyone! Sorry there were no A/N on the first chapter, I forgot about them to be honest and uploaded the chapter without them. So this is my first Robin Hood fic and I am very excited about it!!**

**It's set after Series 1 and before series 2. An AU fic about a girl called Eloise.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Robin Hood format, characters or original concept but I do own this fic and Eloise- please don't steal her!!**

**Anyway please leave me reviews- I love them!!**

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"So Much, when are you going to start breakfast?" Alan A Dale yelled across camp.

"Who do you think I am? Your resident cook?" Much asked, clearly annoyed.

"Well, I ain't being funny but yeah I do!"

"Oh well that's just perfect! Why don't you try making breakfast for 7, plus anyone else who decides to drop in!"

"Well being as you never stop talking about food, I thought you liked cooking! Besides, you whine more than any other woman present, so you suit cooking!"

At both Much and Djaq's indignant looks, Alan looked at Little John for help. John only shrugged back at him.

"Well there is no need to insult both me and Djaq is there? References to women's jobs only ever get you into trouble-" Much was suddenly interrupted by a young man come running into camp.

"Robin, _pant, _where's Robin?" Will Scarlett asked, bent over double with his hands pressed to his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"He's by the lake with Marian. Why Will? What's happened?" Much asked.

"I need to, _pant, _find him!"

At that moment both Robin and Marian came into camp, opposite Will. Both looked more relaxed than any of the other outlaws had ever seen them, even if they were arguing playfully.

"Robin! Will has to speak with you!" Alan yelled over.

"What is it Will? Something happening at Nottingham?" Robin asked, as they both made their way to the group.

"Yes. A young Noblewoman turned up at the castle this morning, demanding to see the Sheriff. The maid I was talking to said that she'd heard the woman thought that Edward was still the Sheriff."

"Well maybe she'd been away, or travelled for a long time," Marian said.

"Yes," Will replied, "But that's not all. The maid said she'd heard it from another maid, who'd heard it from a stableboy, who'd heard it from another-"

"Thankyou Will," Much interrupted, rolling his eyes, "What, exactly did they hear?"

Will turned toward Robin and looked straight at him, "The woman, she is saying that she it the rightful mistress to the Locksley estate, that she's your wife."

Robin felt all of the gang's glazes land on him, and he knew his mouth was hanging open.

"My w-what?!" Robin's eyes immediately sought out Marian's. The look on her face was a mixture of astonishment and amusement.

"Your wife Robin," She repeated, as if he was stupid.

Robin let out a laugh and looked around the surprised faces, "But I do not have a wife."

At the glances the group sent to each other, he repeated himself more forcefully, "I do _not _have a wife!"

He turned to Marian. For Marian, the look on his face said enough for her to believe him. She sent him a small smile, very much enjoying his discomfort.

Marian turned to Will, "But then, who is this woman masquerading as Robin's wife?" Marian asked him.

"Did you see her?" Robin asked.

"No. No one I could speak to has, I think she was taken to the dungeon."

"I ain't bein' funny, but there's gotta be some irony there. Pretending to be your wife and being sent to the dungeon. Do ya think she thought she'd get special treatment or summit?" Alan said.

Djaq asked the question no one wanted to, "What do you think will happen to her?"

Marian glanced at Robin and a look passed between them. Both knew what would happen to her.

Robin answered, "She will probably hang," he said flatly.

"H-hang? For pretending to be something she's not?!" Much asked, astounded.

"Well people are being hanged more much less than that these days, including yours truly and Will over there." Alan answered.

"You pretended to be from Locksley, you were also at the end of the noose, Alan." Robin said, "So what do we do?" At the blank looks around him, he went on, "Well we can't just leave her there can we?" Robin asked with a grin.

Much looked and Robin and quickly said "Master you cannot be serious! We're going to go and save some woman we don't even know! Not just any woman, someone who's pretending to be your wife!"

"Much," Marian asked, "Aren't you just the least bit curious as to why this woman is lying about being married to Robin?"

"No I am not!"

As everyone started talking at the same time Robin barely hid a grin. As he turned away from the group, he noticed a sound.

"Shush everyone! Listen!" Immediately there was silence. "Hooves on the Northern Road. You know the drill, let's go!"

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**So let me know what you think about this so far. Oh and sorry about the long wait between chapters, it wont always be like this. I usually write about 5 chapters and post them all pretty quickly at the beginning, but I just couldn't wait to get this one up!!**

**Any comments are good!!**

**Love**

**Louise x**


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